Incomplete grades are issued on a case-by-case basis when students cannot complete the assigned work or final examination for a particular course due to unforeseen circumstances, e.g., illness, natural disaster, or family catastrophe. Supporting documentation may be required. A grade of I is issued in lieu of an actual grade for the course. To secure permission for an incomplete grade, the student and faculty member must communicate in writing (such as an email), clearly stating the reason for the incomplete, the work to be completed, and the due date. The faculty member is required to submit a copy of the terms to the Office of the Registrar. In cases where the course is taught by an adjunct or temporary instructor, approval from the department chair or associate dean of the specific college will be required before the incomplete grade is recorded. It is the responsibility of the faculty member to consult with their associate dean or department chair before awarding a grade of I. If appropriate, students must drop any subsequent course for which the incomplete course is a prerequisite. Students must complete the course work by the specified contract date which will be no later than the last day of classes of the subsequent semester, whether enrolled in University course work or not. Should a specified contract date not have been explicitly agreed upon at the time of granting the incomplete, the deadline shall default to the last day of classes at the end of the following semester. A grade of F will be applied automatically to the course after the completion deadline has passed if the student fails to complete the work or the faculty member submits no other grade.

Students who are in military service (active duty, reserves, or National Guard) may request an incomplete grade for military deployment, mobilizations, or duty changes occurring in the final three (3) weeks of the course. A copy of the military orders must be provided to the Office of Academic Services as documentation. The deadline for removing an incomplete given on the basis of military service is last day of the semester following the one in which the incomplete was given. Every effort will be made to work with the student and the faculty member to facilitate completion of the incomplete. Should military service commitments prevent the student from fulfilling the requirements for removal of the incomplete, a grade of W will replace the incomplete.

As soon as the emergency is over, the student should attempt to make up the Incomplete by working directly with the instructor. If the course instructor is not employed during the semester in which the work is to be completed, then the associate dean or department chair will oversee the course work and assign the final grade.  If the work for the course cannot be completed in this way, the Office of Academic Services will, by appointment, administer examinations and/or receive student papers so that the work can be completed as expeditiously as possible. Within two weeks after receiving the work or by the last day of classes for the semester, the instructor (or chair if the instructor is unavailable) must submit a grade change request and assign a permanent grade for the student’s performance in the course. If these conditions are not met, the grade will be changed to an F.